CPACPs are certified care providers in charge of an animal’s wellbeing for boarding facilities, pet sitters, or walking service providers. According to the PACCC, the certification process is intended to help identify high quality care providers.

The Professional Animal Care Certification Council (PACCC) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit created by a team of industry experts to recognize high quality providers and help them meet the challenge of educating pet parents on the value of a pet care provider’s investment in education and training. Independent certification, using testing from industry developed standards, clearly identifies the premier professional animal care providers in our industry. Both providers and pet parents benefit from the implicit distinctions a reputable and objective third party certification provides.

“We could not be more proud of the enthusiasm shown for independent certification. With PACCC certification, the best of the best will be able to distinguish themselves in this increasingly competitive industry while giving pet parents peace of mind when choosing a pet care provider.”

– Susan Briggs, Co-Founder, PACCC

The deadline for taking the CPACP exam is October 1, 2016. For more information, including exam application requirements and to register, visit paccert.org.

In addition to the other events scheduled to take place at the annual pet trade show, the 6th Annual Retailer Excellence Awards winners will be announced during the pet industry breakfast at 8:00 AM on Thursday, March 23.

The AKC Humane Fund recently announced the winners of its 17th annual Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE).

ACE awards recognize dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. Awards are issued in the following categories:

Uniformed Service K-9

Service

Therapy

Search and Rescue

Exemplary Companion Dog

This year’s winners include Radar, a bloodhound from the FBI’s K-9 unit, Teddie, a Labrador Retriever who helped a teenager with paralysis, Jackie, a Sussex Spaniel working as an airport comfort dog, Bodie, a Belgian Malinois with a substantial search and rescue record, and Haus, a brave German Shepherd who defended his 7 year-old human companion from a rattlesnake.

“The heartwarming stories of the five ACE award winners exemplify the loyalty, commitment and companionship dogs give us. Whether providing comfort or saving lives, each of these dogs has in some way improved the lives of others and the impact they have made on their community is truly inspiring.”

– Gina DiNardo, Spokesperson, AKC

Recipients of the ACE award receive a one-year pet insurance policy from Pet Partners, $1,000 to be awarded to a pet charity, and an engraved silver medallion. The winners will be recognized during the AKC National Championship in December.

The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation recently announced the findings of a survey to assess the impact of pet owners’ knowledge of the benefits of the human-animal bond on the level of care they provide their pets.

“Scientific research shows that pets are good for our health, improving heart health, relieving stress and positively impacting conditions from autism to PTSD. Now, for the first time, we have data to show that it’s a two-way street – when we know how good pets are for us, we are more likely to take better care of them!”

– Steven Feldman, Executive Director, HABRI

Among the survey’s results,

89% of pet owners said they were more likely to take better care of their pets

75% of pet owners said they were more likely to microchip a pet to ensure it can be found if lost or stolen

51% of pet owners said they were more likely to purchase pet health insurance

62% of pet owners said they were less likely to skip visits to the veterinarian

74% of pet owners said they were less likely to give up a pet for any reason

88% of pet owners said they were more likely to provide their pets with high-quality nutrition

92% of pet owners said they were more likely to maintain their pet’s health, including keeping up with vaccines and preventative medicine

The World Pet Association is slated to host the inaugural American Cichlid Association Fish Competition during November’s Aquatic Experience event in Chicago.

The American Cichlid Association Fish Competition is composed of 25 classes in nearly all new and old world cichlid groups with cash awards given to first place winners in each class, plus a $500 Grand Prize and $100 Reserve Best of Show. All competitors receive free 3-day admission to the Aquatic Experience show floor—experiencing “everything aquatic under one roof” at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. Entries are open to the public with no limit on the number of entries. The deadline for online registrations is October 15, 2016. More details at www.aquaticexperience.org/fish-competitions.

Aquatic Experience will run from November 4 to November 6 at the Schaumburg Convention Center.

September is Animal Pain Awareness Month. In observation, AAHA Red has published an article about what veterinary practitioners can do to help themselves and their clients recognize and manage pain in pets.

In September, the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM), a multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to promoting, enhancing and advancing pain management in animals, is sponsoring the second annual Animal Pain Awareness Month. Scheduled to coincide with human medicine’s Pain Awareness Month, its theme is, “Because their pain is our pain.”

Practices can download free resources from the IVAPM website. Those resources include a “The Most Common Signs of Pain in Your Pet” poster, feline and canine questionnaires to assess patient pain, and other pain-related articles from the IVAPM website.

Using standardized self-report measures, families who had acquired a pet dog (intervention group; n = 22) showed significantly improved family functioning in comparison to control group families (n = 15, with no dog). Both groups showed reductions in domains of parenting stress. These reductions were more evident in the intervention group; 20% of parents moved from clinically high to normal stress levels. In the domain of parent-child dysfunctional interactions, reductions were only observed in the intervention group. A significant positive relationship was observed between parenting stress of the child’s main carer and their attachment to the dog.

“Social media is an integral part of consumers’ daily lives and a critical communication channel for brands to engage in conversation with their customers during the holidays. Whether answering a product question or confirming a customer’s gift order, brands have an opportunity to positively influence awareness, customer loyalty, positive sentiment and seasonal sales through social media engagement.”

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently proposed changes to the Horse Protection Act that, if passed, would help improve the welfare of horses. Specifically, the proposed amendments target “soring,” the practice of inflicting pain on horses to alter their gait. The updated ruleset would include stricter requirements to be enforced by horse inspectors as well as the banning of devices and substances known to be used to facilitate soring from auctions, exhibitions, and other shows.

The proposed amendments can be viewed in their entirety on regulations.gov.

Animal behavior consultant, Steve Dale, recently received the Industry Excellence Award during the P3 Pet Trade Show held in Chicago. The award, the first of its kind, is awarded to those who promote excellence within the pet industry.

“We’re thrilled to recognize Chicago’s own Steve Dale at P3. Steve Dale has a proven track record for industry excellence through the numerous achievements that he has accomplished over the past few decades. Not only has he contributed to various columns, authored two books, appeared on national radio and television, but he also had the ability to reach more pet owners over the past few decades than any other pet journalist in America.”

courtesy Pets in the Classroom

It doesn’t take long for classroom pets to become classroom friends for young students—especially those with autism. Multiple studies have shown that students with behavioral and social issues are positively impacted by interaction with a classroom pet—and teachers agree:

We have seen a great turnaround in classroom behavior, now that we have our classroom pet, Buddy Boudreaux (guinea pig). I work with students on the autism spectrum in grades 5-6. We have many moments of frustration and sensory overload that often lead to meltdowns within our classroom setting. Buddy has helped so many of our students feel better when they get to just sit and read to him. They look forward to earning reward time to hold him, interact with him, and help with some of his pet responsibilities (such as feeding, filling water bottle, etc.).”

– Jennifer Porche, Special Education Teacher, Florence, AL

“I have a couple of Autistic students and [Charlie the Bearded Dragon] often sits with them and helps them on days when things are out of sorts. It is amazing! The biggest success story for Charlie is that we have a student in an emotional/behavioral class that has a really hard time fitting in. He gets very angry at times, and when the teachers weren’t able to calm him down with the usual strategies, we found [him] just holding and talking to Charlie for a few minutes—works every time. He simply comes to my room, and we take Charlie out, and he holds, rubs, and feeds him by hand, and that does it. It’s like a small miracle.”

– Erica Hornick, 4th Grade Teacher, Toccoa, GA

Jennifer and Erica aren’t the only teachers who have benefitted from the use of a classroom pet. Through the Pets in the Classroom grant program, over three million children in over 70,000 classrooms throughout the US and Canada have gotten to experience pet care through classroom pets. The American Pet Products Association supports the work of Pets in the Classroom. To find out more, or to apply for a grant to bring a pet into your classroom, visit http://www.petsintheclassroom.org.

According to the American Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owners Survey, more pet owners are purchasing holiday gifts for their pets than ever before. While numbers are up overall, cats are apparently more likely to make the naughty list than dogs; 38% of cat owners report that they buy gifts for their festive felines compared to over 50% for dog owners and their dogs. In addition to species-based differences, the numbers vary across generations as well:

On average, Generation Y spends nearly twice as much per gift ($23.50) compared to Builders ($11.50), Gen X ($12.89) and Baby Boomers, who spend the least on gifts for dogs. Regardless of budget, that’s a potential of 39 million dogs and 32 million cats making holiday lists this year.

The World Pet Association recently concluded its largest SuperZoo yet. The event, held at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay earlier this month, broke previous records for attendance and exhibitors.

The quality and depth of SuperZoo’s speakers, education sessions, attendees and exhibitors was incredible. SuperZoo is continually evolving and growing to meet the needs of pet retailers as well as the trends in the industry and this year demonstrated WPA’s sustained commitment to contributing to the pet industry’s continued success.”

– Doug Poindexter, President, World Pet Association

SuperZoo 2017 is scheduled for July 25-27, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. For more information visit the SuperZoo website.

A new observance has been created to help reunite lost pets with their owners. The American Veterinary Medical Association in conjunction with the American Animal Hospital Association has declared August 15th Check the Chip Day. The new observance is intended to serve as a reminder for those who find lost pets to check for the presence of an identifying microchip as well for pet owners to register their pets microchips and to keep the information associated with them current.

It’s a sad situation, but unfortunately not an uncommon one. As important as microchipping is, a microchip is only as good as the contact information registered along with it. And six out of 10 microchips aren’t registered. That means 60 percent of families who are counting on a microchip to bring their pet safely back home will be sadly, devastatingly disappointed if their pet gets lost.

It’s critically important to register every pet’s microchip – and equally important to make sure you keep the registration information up-to-date. If you move or change phone numbers, your pet’s microchip information needs to be updated to reflect your new contact information.

A new report suggests that the pet wearables market may reach $2.36 billion by 2022. The report, produced by Grand View Research, suggests increases in pet ownership and pet spending will drive sales of pet wearables over the next eight years.

According to Marketers Media, increasing awareness towards pet health and fitness is expected to offer significant opportunities for the development of advanced wearable products. The industry is characterized by extensive R&D investment in order to obtain competitive advantage, which is also expected to result in frequent acquisitions and strategic alliances.

Smartphones, combined with new applications and products, are allowing owners to remotely monitor, water, feed and release treats for their pets. Some technologies unlock home doors and relock them remotely, thus allowing pet sitters and dog walkers access to pets when the owners are away. The nature of the industry, where many owners have multiple pets, is expected to accentuate growth across the globe. It is estimated that by 2017, pet owners will spend more on wearable devices than on food and by 2020, that spending on pets will rise by an additional 50%.

However, high power consumption and procurement costs in developing countries may hinder growth over the forecast period. High cost per line for both fixed and wireless technologies would make it difficult to provide services at an affordable price across major emerging regions. Lack of infrastructure and high cost of network installation and maintenance in developing countries are expected to further result in ineffective framework.

The United States Postal Service recently announced the release of a new series of pet-themed postage stamps. The series, known as Pets Forever, celebrates the joy and companionship pets bring to our lives through stamps featuring 20 different types of companion animals.

Postage stamps have highlighted dogs and cats in the past with the previously released series, Adopt a Shelter Pet promoted by Ellen DeGeneres in 2009. However, this is especially exciting for the pet industry because in addition to dogs and cats, these new Pets Forever stamps feature all kinds of pets, from iguanas and hermit crabs, to snakes and horses! Animal owners everywhere can share their love for their favorite companions with these new colorful postage stamps! Break out the stationary, find a new pen pal and support the new designs by purchasing your booklet online or at a USPS location near you!

Pet supply trade magazine Pet Age recently named Pet Food Experts its Distributor of the Year for 2016.

Everyone at Pet Age is pleased to feature the third recipient of our annual Distributor of the Year Award, Pet Food Experts. Pet Food Experts was chosen by a panel of independent judges, and the company exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding distributor. Pet Age created this award to honor distributors; these are the companies that allow retailers to fill their shelves with the products pet owners need and want.

To coincide with the award, Pet Age has published a feature story on the history of the company and its evolution from small pet store to industry examplar.

With the release of Finding Dory boosting interest in fish keeping, the Pet Leadership Council (PLC) wants to make sure people are educated on the care needs of a specific pet before getting one. For example, the blue tang fish, like Dory herself, can grow up to 17 inches, requires an aquarium the size of a couch and can’t be grown for pets, they have to be taken from the ocean. Here are some core principles that back the pet industry’s commitment to responsible fishkeeping:

Promote and advance aquaculture efforts for captive breeding of all marine life

Establish standards for responsible and sustainable collection and handling of all marine life

Celebrate the educational and health benefits associated with fish keeping

Educate consumers on responsible fish keeping

Part of being a responsible fish keeper is selecting the right fish and appropriate aquarium, understanding proper care instructions and preventing invasive species. To help educate consumers on these topics, the PLC launched a new website that includes a fun, interactive game to teach proper fishkeeping.

World Pet Association has announced the results of a survey of the financial and operating performances of over 100 retail pet companies. The report provides performance benchmarks for individual retailers as well as for the industry overall.

Among the most interesting findings, the 2016 report found respondents:

A recent study suggests that women who own a cat or a dog are 40% less likely to die from a stroke. The study, conducted by researchers at Georgia Southern University, examined cardiovascular health outcomes of over 4,000 people over the age of 50. The results suggest that the effects of pet ownership on stroke risk reduction may be particularly strong among older women.

According to Reuters, a study done by the High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention Journal found that women over the age of 50 were less likely to experience a stroke if they have a cat or dog (more so if you have a cat). The study apparently looked at 4,000 people over the age of 50 and found that female pet owners have a 40 percent less chance of dying from a stroke. This phenomenon was however only seen in women, men did not seem to benefit from having a pet.